Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Split Salvaged, Phillies Appear in Control as NLCS Shifts to San Francisco

Filed under: Giants, Phillies, MLB Playoffs, National League Championship SeriesPHILADELPHIA -- Getting into the spirit of NFL Sunday, Philadelphia's baseball club unleashed a spread attack and tied up the National League Championship Series at a game apiece.

Led by an unlikely triple threat -- pitcher Roy Oswalt -- the Phillies won 6-1 by putting together their best all-around game in five this postseason.

Oswalt ran his fastball past Giants hitters to the tune of nine strikeouts, best of his postseason career, but he'll be remembered more for running through a stop sign like a ballcarrier who smells the end zone.

Dusting off cobwebs, the Phillies also trotted out a more diversified offense, whether it was Shane Victorino bunting over the pitcher Oswalt as part of a late surge, or slump-ridden Jimmy Rollins blasting a three-run double off a scoreboard screen, or whiff-prone slugger Ryan Howard reaching base three times.

"We played a good game on both sides of the ball," said Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth, sounding like a football coach.

Even after losing Game 1 on Saturday, the Phillies were still my pick to win a third consecutive National League pennant.

West Coast Bias isn't going to slobber over the Evil Coast team, but I saw a few reasons beyond Sunday's score to believe that Game 1 of the World Series will be in Philadelphia rather than San Francisco.

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